Curriculum
The following are the requirements to be commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the U.S. Army:
1. Completion of a bachelor’s degree.
2. Completion of 18 credit hours of military science.
3. Completion of the professional military education component of the ROTC
program.
4. Successful completion of Advanced Camp.
Basic Course (G101, G102, G201, and G202)
The Basic Course is usually taken in the freshman and sophomore years. All
necessary textbooks and materials are furnished without cost to the student, and
all tuition and fees are paid for through university fee remission. No prior
military experience is required and no commitment is incurred during this time.
Students may withdraw at any time through the end of the second year.
Individual courses cover the areas of management; national defense; military
history; leadership development; military tactics, discipline, and customs;
individual weapons; crew-served weapons; land navigation; and U.S. military
tactics. Various social and professional activities are available in conjunction
with the military science program.
100-level courses are 1 credit hour, and 200-level courses are 2 credit
hours, for a total of 6 credit hours in the Basic Course. In essence, this
course is intended to introduce the student to the Army and ROTC. Theoretical
concepts are covered in the classroom, and practical military skills are learned
in a field-training environment.
Students are encouraged to attend optional weekend activities, weekly
leadership lab (two hours), and physical fitness training (M, W, F; 6:45-7:45
a.m.). These activities are mandatory for all ROTC scholarship students.
Army Physical Fitness (E130 and E230)
Any student enrolled in any military science course may attend these 2 credit
hour Army Physical Fitness classes free of charge; however, no credit will be
given in such cases. Students must pay for these courses if they are taken for
credit. These courses are offered through the School of Physical Education.
Advanced Course (G301, G302, G401, and G402)
After completing the Basic Course or its equivalent (see ‘‘Advanced
Placement’’ in this bulletin) and 54 credit hours of course work with a
grade point average of at least 2.0 (C), students who have demonstrated officer
potential and who meet Army physical standards are eligible to enroll in the
Advanced Course.
The Advanced Course is normally taken in the final two years of college.
Instruction includes further leadership development, organization and
management, tactics, and administration.
A paid five-week Advanced Camp is held during the summer between the junior
and senior years. This camp permits cadets to put into practice the principles
and theories they have learned in the classroom. It also exposes them to Army
life in a tactical or field environment.
All cadets in the Advanced Course receive uniforms, necessary military
science textbooks, payment for attending Advanced Camp, and an allowance of up
to $2,000 each school year.
Before entering the Advanced Course, a student must sign a contract that
certifies an understanding of the service obligation. This obligation may be
fulfilled by serving in various ways, depending on the individual’s personal
preference and the needs of the Army. Scholarship graduates serve four years on
active duty (if selected by Cadet Command) and four in the Army Guard or Army
Reserve unless they receive a Guaranteed Reserve Forces Duty scholarship. If
that scholarship is received, the graduate serves entirely with the Guard or
Reserve. Nonscholarship graduates may serve three years on active duty (if
selected by Cadet Command) and the remaining five years in the Guard or Reserve.
If reserve force duty is selected by the nonscholarship graduate, the eight-year
obligation is spent in the Guard or Reserve. There, officers assume duties for
three years with a troop unit, and the last five years of the eight-year
obligation requires no participation (readiness status only).
The Advanced Course comprises four 3 credit hour courses (totaling 12 credit
hours) and the summer Advanced Camp. The 300-level courses stress the military
skills that will be needed to successfully complete the Advanced Camp. The
400-level courses concentrate on those skills needed by an officer about to go
on active duty. In addition, a student battalion is organized in which students
are given various command and staff positions based on an order of merit
established by their prior performance in the program.
Advanced Course students are required to attend weekly leadership labs (two
hours), physical fitness classes (M, W, F; 6:45-7:45 a.m.), and some weekend
field-training exercises.
Professional Military Education Requirements
This component of the ROTC program is designed to provide the cadet with the
type of academic foundation necessary to support continued intellectual growth.
As an integral part of their undergraduate education, prospective officers are
required to take at least one course in each of the following three fields of
study: computer science, communication skills, and American military history. It
is recommended that cadets take courses in national security policy, math
reasoning, human behavior, and management. Authorized courses are listed in the
course description section of this bulletin.
Off-Campus Training
One of the major advantages of the ROTC program is the opportunity for cadets
to attend actual Army training courses during the summer vacation months.
Attendance at one or more of these courses has multiple benefits for the ROTC
student. The cadet learns firsthand how the Army trains. Cadets are exposed to a
unique learning experience. They live in an actual Army environment and gain an
appreciation for the people with whom they will be working during their period
of service. Students are selected for this training on a merit basis (academic
and physical) from volunteers wishing to take advantage of this opportunity. The
following list describes the five types of off-campus training programs. Cadets
are not paid to attend these training courses; however, travel, lodging, and
meals are provided.
Airborne School
This course is taught at Fort Benning, Georgia, and lasts three weeks.
Students completing this course are fully qualified paratroopers. The first week
(ground week) consists of rigorous physical training and instruction designed to
prepare the student to make a parachute jump and land safely. The second week
(tower week) perfects individual skills and stresses team effort. Jump skills
are taught through the use of the swing landing trainer, the suspended harness,
and the 250-foot free-fall tower. The final week (jump week) consists of five
parachute jumps from U.S. military aircraft.
Air Assault School
This two-week course is taught at several locations throughout the United
States. Key areas of training include obstacle course, repelling, rigging, and
helicopter slingloading, and a 12-mile march. Students are evaluated at the end
of each training phase.
Mountain Warfare School
This two-week course emphasizes military mountaineering. It is taught at the
Vermont National Guard Mountain Warfare School (MWS) in Jericho, Vermont.
Northern Warfare School
This course is taught at the Northern Warfare Training Center, Fort Greely,
Alaska, and lasts three weeks. The course is intended to familiarize junior
leaders with military operations in northern areas. Emphasis is placed on
movement in mountainous terrain, on glaciers, and on inland waterways.
Cadet Troop Leader Training
Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT) gives cadets who have completed Advanced
Camp firsthand experience in the duties of an Army officer by providing three
weeks of duty in an active Army unit or initial entry training unit (basic
training) where cadets serve as platoon leaders.
If a cadet is assigned to a unit on parachute status and the cadet is already
airborne qualified, the cadet may participate in unit parachute jumps with
approval from the commanding officer.
Academic Policy
No student with a history of marginal academic performance (below a 2.0 [C]
cumulative GPA) will be admitted to the ROTC Advanced Course.
Students who have been admitted to the Advanced Course but fail to maintain
good academic standing will be disenrolled from ROTC.
No student will be commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army if not in good
academic standing at the time of commissioning, even if the student has finished
all military science academic requirements. Students must receive the bachelor’s
degree to be commissioned.
The chairperson of the military science department admits all Advanced Course
students to the program, continuously monitors their progress, disenrolls
marginal performers, and certifies each candidate for a commission.
Partnership Schools
The Department of Military Science at IUPUI offers participation in Army ROTC
to five other Indianapolis-area institutions of higher education. In essence, a
student on another campus may cross-enroll in the IUPUI ROTC program and earn an
Army commission. Partnership students are eligible for the same benefits as
IUPUI students and must meet the same admission requirements. The partnership
institutions are:
Butler University
Students register and pay fees for ROTC courses just as they would for any
Butler University course. Students must commute to the IUPUI campus for ROTC
classes not offered at Butler University. Students may fulfill Butler University’s
physical education requirement through ROTC. Military science grades are applied
to the student’s overall GPA.
IUPUI Columbus
Students register and pay fees for ROTC courses just as they would for any
IUPUI Columbus course. Students must commute to IUPUI for all ROTC classes.
Franklin College
Students enroll in military science courses through the Consortium for Urban
Education, Indianapolis, and the registrar’s office. Students must commute to
the IUPUI campus for all ROTC classes.
Marian College
Students enroll in military science courses through the Consortium for Urban
Education, Indianapolis, and the registrar’s office. Students must commute to
the IUPUI campus for all ROTC classes.
University of Indianapolis
Students enroll in military science courses through the Consortium for Urban
Education, Indianapolis, and the registrar’s office. Students must commute to
the IUPUI campus for all ROTC classes.
Support Services
Library
The Department of Military Science maintains its own library facility with
books, journals, and training aids particular to the curriculum.
Awards
Students who merit special recognition receive it through the military
science department’s awards program. This program includes the following three
types of awards:
Functional Awards
Made on merit, these awards provide the student with additional educational
experience. For example, the Marshall Foundation Award provides for a student’s
attendance at a three-day seminar in the Washington, D.C., area where national
security concerns are discussed by the highest-ranking members of the Army and
civilian members of the Department of the Army.
Recognition Awards
The Army and many civilian organizations such as the American Legion,
Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Daughters of the American Revolution provide
awards to deserving students, recognizing accomplishments in academic and
leadership efforts.
University Awards
IUPUI, in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Otis R. Bowen, presents a trophy every year
to the most outstanding ROTC student.
Social
The Department of Military Science provides ample opportunity for its
students and faculty to meet in a social environment as well as in the
classroom. Social activities include a picnic each semester, and cadet-sponsored
parties. Awards and commissioning ceremonies are followed with social hours. The
primary social event of the year is a formal military ball.
Intramural Program
It is the policy of the Department of Military Science to enter teams or
individuals, as appropriate, in all university intramurals. In essence, the
department acts as a vehicle for those students wishing to participate in
athletics.
Career Counseling
The Department of Military Science maintains a vigorous counseling program.
Student progress and performance level are constantly monitored. Students are
periodically counseled on their status in the program, and those in academic
trouble are offered assistance. The thrust of this program is to ensure that
students are commissioned in the proper career field upon successful completion
of the ROTC program.
Advanced Placement
(Army ROTC Two-Year Program)
Although Army ROTC is normally a four-year course of instruction, a program
is available to allow students to complete ROTC in just two years. Students must
have two years of course work remaining to complete degree requirements upon
entering the Advanced Placement program. Under the two-year program, students
who attended a junior or community college, students at four-year institutions
who have not taken ROTC during their first two years of undergraduate study, and
students entering a two-year postgraduate course of study may enroll in the
ROTCprogram. In addition, students who have past military experience may
participate in this program. Students who are awarded advanced placement may go
directly into the ROTC Advanced Course. In order to qualify for Advanced Course
placement, the applicant must fulfill one of the following requirements:
Camp Challenge (ROTC Basic Camp)
This five-week camp is held at Fort Knox, Kentucky, each summer and is
repeated several times between June and early August. Successful completion of
this camp allows direct entrance into the ROTC Advanced Course. No military
obligation is involved in camp attendance. Students’ travel expenses are paid,
and lodging and most meals are provided. In addition, participating students
earn about $600. ROTC scholarships are offered to more than 50 percent of
students who complete the course and meet Advanced Course eligibility
requirements. Training covers rappelling, map reading/land navigation, rifle
marksmanship, basic leadership techniques, physical training/marches, individual
and unit tactics, communications, first aid, drills/parades/ceremonies, military
courtesy/traditions, and water survival.
During this training, students learn some fundamental things about the Army—weapons,
combat tactics, drill, and ceremonies. Students also learn some basic things
about themselves—their physical endurance, leadership capabilities, and
ability to think and perform under pressure. Students finish the summer with
some other basics—discipline, pride, and confidence—that will be important
to them in all their future endeavors. Applications for Camp Challenge are taken
each year from November through May.
Veterans
Veterans of prior military service with any branch of the armed services are
authorized advanced placement if they meet program admission requirements.
Junior ROTC (JROTC)
Students who have completed at least two years of Junior ROTC in high school
may receive advanced placement of one year in the ROTC program, and students
with three years of Junior ROTC may receive advanced placement of two years in
the ROTC program if they meet Advanced Course admission requirements.
Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP)
This program is for those who desire to serve in an Army National Guard or
Army Reserve unit while earning a commission through ROTC. Scholarship students
are not eligible for the SMP. If a guard or reserve member accepts an ROTC
scholarship, he or she must be released and discharged from the guard or reserve
unit.
Students wishing to participate in the SMP must qualify for enlistment in a
guard or reserve unit. If a vacancy is available, students who qualify for
enlistment join an Army National Guard or Army Reserve unit and become officer
trainees. Students who are already members of such a unit may apply for the SMP
either through their commanding officer or through the professor of military
science at the college they attend.
As an officer trainee in the SMP, students are exempt from the ROTC Basic
Course and may enroll directly in the Army ROTC Advanced Course at host colleges
or at nearby institutions that permit cross-enrollment.
There are also opportunities for tuition assistance with the SMP units.
